Christie urges immediate vote on bail overhaul

Gov. Christie urges immediate vote on bail overhaul before heading to New Hampshire

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Chris Christie's power of persuasion is coming up short on bail reform — at least for now.

The New Jersey governor convened a rare special session Thursday where he urged lawmakers to pass two bills that would let judges keep suspects who are considered dangerous in jail as they await trial and release low-level suspects so they don't have to sit for months behind bars if they can't afford to pay bail.

"It doesn't seem possible that today we actually have a system where those who are at the greatest risk for having their lives thrown off course because they do not have the means or the options to make bail sit behind bars and those who pose the greatest danger and the greatest threat to our communities walk free," Christie told lawmakers gathered in the grand Assembly chamber, describing the current situation as a "crisis."

But Democratic Assembly leaders announced minutes before the governor's remarks that they would not be scheduling a vote for Thursday as the governor had urged, saying they still have questions that have yet to be addressed. Among the issues cited as sticking points were concerns over funding, how risk assessments would be made and language assuring those being held the right to a speedy trial.

The measures include an amendment to the state constitution that must pass both chambers of the Legislature by Monday to land on the ballot this year. The state Senate passed both measures by supermajorities late Thursday afternoon.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said Thursday that conversations with his members would be continuing over the coming days and that a vote could still happen before Monday's deadline. He struck an optimistic tone after Christie's remarks.

"Hopefully we'll get there," he told reporters. "I think at the end of the day we should be able to have it, but I want to make sure we move as a unit."

Christie, who is considering a run for president in 2016, spoke before heading to the early voting state of New Hampshire on a campaign trip in his role as chair of the Republican Governors Association.

During his remarks, Christie said the current law unfairly punishes low-income residents and allows dangerous criminals to walk the streets. He told the stories of individuals who'd committed violent crimes while out on bail and who'd lost months behind bars before charges against them were dismissed.

He said the measures were "long overdue" and asked those gathered "to act and act today."

"I urge all of you who have this responsibility to not let the moment pass. Act today. Move forward and get this done," he said.

He also stressed that they had rare bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats, as well as anti-crime groups and the New Jersey branches of the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union.

Democratic Sen. Donald Norcross, who sponsored both measures, said after his chamber's vote that the changes were badly needed.

"The cost of doing nothing here is so much higher than what we're doing, which is fixing a broken system," he said.